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By Gary Cotterill
Last Updated: 05/07/20 9:19pm
1:44 Jose Mourinho insists Tottenham have an important nucleus of players that he hopes will carry them into the next five years – but admits they need time to build.
The Portuguese, whose side face a difficult task to qualify for the Champions League next season, highlighted that Divock Origi is the only Liverpool title-winner from Jurgen Klopp’s first match-day squad in 2015 – against Spurs.
He “wants to believe that in five years time the Tottenham line-up will have much more than that from today’s team”, despite a tumultuous season that was compounded with a poor display and 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United last week.
“In this team, we have lots of people of the right age, with the right quality, with the right ambition,” Mourinho told Sky Sports, ahead of a crucial clash with Everton on Monday Night Football.
“So I would say that in three, four, five years’ time, the base of the team will still be around. Important players that are in the club now. That’s why I say we don’t need to make lots of changes. I believe we have an important nucleus of players.”
Tottenham vs Everton
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“(Like some of the fans), I want too much too soon, but I think my realism is stronger with experience. I think it’s very important to be realistic, to be in control of emotions and to understand that there is a process.
“I understand the fans’ ambitions of course. I understand people dream of the best things, they don’t dream of the worst things, but it takes time.
“The good thing is that we are all together in the club. We are all very stable, very realistic, very experienced and we are going to get there.”
Mourinho was not happy with his team’s lack of desire at Bramall Lane, which saw them drop to 10th the Premier League table, and he revealed a team inquiry was held after returning to London that he insists was positive.
2:58 Team meeting stays private – but it was ‘honest’
“What happens inside stays inside – I think that’s a golden rule,” he said. “But it was a very honest meeting.
“It wasn’t a monologue, it was a dialogue, because the players also had the chance to speak with me, and we shared views, and we shared emotions, and we shared analysis.
“I’ve lost many matches in my career but the ones that gave me the worst possible taste are the ones where I feel we should do much more than we did.”
Meanwhile, the defeat at Bramall Lane will also be remembered for one of the most controversial VAR decisions this season that saw Harry Kane’s goal chalked off for handball in the build-up, even though Lucas Moura was seemingly fouled.
‘Lampard will learn managers don’t have much impact on decisions’
It has led to the Premier League reportedly preparing to ask IFAB to review the new handball rule that came into force this season, which sees even accidental handling penalises if it results in a goal, as well as Chelsea boss Frank Lampard calling for a meeting to discuss it.
Mourinho says he “understands” Lampard’s intentions, but believes nothing will change no matter much fuss managers make, and that “in a few years Frank will realise that all these meetings mean nothing”.
Mourinho said: “I think at this moment, Frank believes that we have an important voice and believes that football (should be) in the hands of football people, but he will realise in time that we have to eat the menu that they give us and we have to accept the way things are.
“I’ve had lots of meetings in the past 20 years or so, and I don’t think we had much impact on decisions at all.”
